“Ceuta is not for sale, it must be defended”, “A united Spain will never be defeated” and “I am Spanish, Spanish, Spanish” were among the chants heard during a rally that also featured slogans such as “Ceuta and Melilla, national territory”, “Long live Spain, long live Ceuta” and calls for the expulsion of migrants who entered irregularly. Insults and chants against Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez were also heard, particularly before the institutional speeches.
Zaragoza Mayor Natalia Chueca was greeted with applause before taking the floor and called for calm when some attendees began insulting Sánchez. During her speech, chants of “I am Spanish, Spanish, Spanish” were heard again, and a tribute was paid to Ceuta residents living in Zaragoza, which was met with prolonged applause. Chueca also had words for Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas before the manifesto was read, delivering one of the afternoon’s central messages: “Ceuta, you are and will always be Spain”.
Among the thousands of attendees was Esperanza, a Zaragoza resident who came with her husband. “We are Spanish and we all have to stand united,” she told ARAGÓN DIGITAL, explaining why she had come to the square. Her message to the people of Ceuta was particularly direct: “Stay strong and don’t give up”. Pepe Mora, another participant, called for more resources in view of the situation and also offered a message of support: “Be patient—I think you already are—and together we will achieve it”.
After the manifesto was read, several Ceuta residents living in Zaragoza took the floor from the podium, accompanied by Zaragoza Mayor Natalia Chueca, to give voice to the concerns of those following events in their homeland closely. They argued that Ceuta is “an irreplaceable part of our country” and that its Spanish identity is grounded in “its history, the law and the democratic will of its citizens”. They also sought to make clear that what happened at the border goes beyond the autonomous city itself: “When a Spanish border is put under pressure, all of Spain is put under pressure,” they said.
Their speeches also focused on the consequences the situation is having for the city and the need for a joint response. “Ceuta has responded, but it cannot do so alone,” they warned, while calling for more state resources, extraordinary funding and greater involvement from the European Union because “Ceuta is Europe’s external border and needs a European response”. Alongside these demands, they also wanted to send a message of coexistence, stating that “we reject any form of hatred, racism or confrontation” and arguing that security and border protection must be compatible with respect for human rights.
The rally was also attended by the president of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, who, before referring to Ceuta, wanted to remember Arturo Aliaga, who died on Wednesday at the age of 70. The mobilization took place on Ceuta Day and as part of the call promoted by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), which Zaragoza joined after the city council expressed its institutional support for the autonomous city throughout the day.
From early in the morning, the main balcony of the City Hall displayed a banner reading “Zaragoza with Ceuta”, put up by Chueca alongside municipal spokespersons, with the exception of Zaragoza en Común. The City Hall façade and several municipal fountains were also lit in the colors of the Spanish flag as part of the support events. No representatives of ZeC or the PSOE attended the rally.
RALLIES ALSO HELD IN HUESCA AND TERUEL
The response was repeated in the other two Aragonese capitals. In Huesca, Mayor Lorena Orduna read a manifesto of solidarity with Ceuta at 8:00 p.m., while in Teruel, Cathedral Square, opposite City Hall, filled with attendees and cheers for Spain were heard before Mayor Emma Buj addressed the crowd.
The rallies held simultaneously across Aragon formed part of the FEMP’s call to demonstrate support for Ceuta from local government. In Zaragoza, the size of the event produced one of the most striking images of the day, with thousands of people occupying Pilar Square and its surroundings and a significant security operation throughout the gathering.
